What Does it Mean to You?

Disclaimer: No reputable sources below, just my views on the topic.

After reading about why milk is racist I felt the need to get a few thoughts out of my mind about what something means to me – the American Flag. So I’m sharing my thoughts with WWW – because 2017. The “milk isn’t that healthy” argument has caught more attention since this white girl drank milk at the end of the movie “Get Out“. Now more people are talking about the effects of milk on people of different races and how much it truly helps strong bones.

This reminded me of a discussion I had with someone months ago about racism because the aforementioned article clickbait title points out how something can mean different things to different people. This person argued that

“The American Flag, good Old Glory, doesn’t represent Blacks because it was made during a time when colored folk were considered inferior.”

The argument holds merit. However…

As time progressed the United States, the country the flag represents, changed a lot. “We the People” still have work to do but non-whites, females, and gays are respected more, generally speaking. Hate crime and racism is for another day.

My thoughts –

Origin and representation isn’t always the same. Representation can change at any time. Origin is less fleeting and more objective.

Old Glory represents my upbringing and my initial foundation of thinking, the country that immersed me in conflicting ideologies, being the melting pot of the world, but prompting me to be the open minded thinker I consider myself to be.

The flag represents the current state of United States of America – “We the People” – not the President, the government, the extremists covered in mass media – all of us as a whole.

But the flag also represents those who have signed a blank check with their life to defend the country’s “what,” “who,” “where,” “how,” and “why”. I wore that flag on my right shoulder in uniform for years as an ambassador for the US of A in many countries, including South Korea.

What did Robin Williams say? “I’m just a flag.” You and I play a part in what the flag represents with our actions – “We the People”.

In life, you have three basic options – accept it, change it, or get away from it. If you have a problem with how the the country is as a whole, apply those three options.

Change It

Do something about it!

Wait, no, that’s not enough in 2017.

If you have a problem with how the country is progressing, act in ways (that’s plural by the way) to initiate positive change for the good of “We the People”. Like what, you ask?

Conduct peaceful protests, not vandalism, destructive riots, and burning the flag. What does that achieve? Do you know the punishment some countries inflict on such deliberate actions? Oh, but this is America, right? Well, wrecking havoc pushes people away from you and negates your hopefully positive initiative. This is how people think. Think about that when you’re looking for ways to create a buzz.

Share reputable information on issues affecting Americans – covering all sides of story possible and encouraging people to think for themselves, not simply telling people what to think. That’s totally not what I’m doing…

Collaborate and organize an initiative or non-profit organization to build awareness and offer ways to actively support its clearly stated mission statement and goals. No, apparel and social media hashtags do not count as “active”. But passive is better than nothing – to a point.

Act promptly and publicly against those who pervert your message to extreme measures or for alter motives. Make it known that they don’t reflect your mission and message. It needs to come from within the same community. That’s why a black man wrote “ATTN: Blacks“. Still totally not telling people what to think – okay, just a lot.

Examples:

“Kill all white people” – #BlackLivesMatter Extremist

“Get rid of all these men” – Feminism Extremist

Engage tactfully with those who oppose your stance with the goal of mutual understanding, not forcing your opinion down their throat. Someone on Rallypoint once shared a quote with me that read “I never learned from a man I agreed with”.

The POTUS is one person – same as you. There always has to be first. Then there are supporters.

Accept It

Simply put, shut the fuck up, which is what you might as well do if you’re just going to complain.

Quick personal development (PerDev?) note: anytime you oppose an idea or state something’s “wrong”, be ready to offer a solution and/or supporting evidence.

Or Get Away From It

Leave the country. A passport is $150, takes approximately four mouths to deliver, and is good for ten years. It’s $50 to renew it. If you think the USA is so bad that its not worth your energy to embrace “We the people” and you’d rather jump ship, there are plenty places for USA citizens to easily move.

Oh, and how many said they were leaving if Donald Trump became President? I’m waiting. Traffic is hectic around here.

If this offends you, you need more than 10 questions you should ask yourself more often. You need to disconnect from the world for a few days or weeks and question everything you believe and why. Seriously ask yourself how ignorant you want to be in life.

<!–Talk about milk–>

Back to milk… what type of milk is racist? Cow milk? Almond milk? Soy milk? Screw milk. Do your own research into what’s in each type of milk. Find a local farmer. Or stop drinking it.